agouti

[ uh-goo-tee ]

noun,plural a·gou·tis, a·gou·ties.
  1. any of several short-haired, short-eared, rabbitlike rodents of the genus Dasyprocta, of South and Central America and the West Indies, destructive to sugarcane.

  2. an irregularly barred pattern of the fur of certain rodents.

  1. an animal having fur of this pattern.

Origin of agouti

1
First recorded in 1725–35; from French, from Spanish agutí, from Tupian agutí, agoutí, acutí
  • Rarely a·gou·ty .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use agouti in a sentence

  • Fortunately neither the sheep nor the agouties, nor the goats experienced the like temptation.

    Godfrey Morgan | Jules Verne
  • Agouties, goats, sheep, went and came on the skirt of the forest.

    Godfrey Morgan | Jules Verne

British Dictionary definitions for agouti

agouti

/ (əˈɡuːtɪ) /


nounplural -tis or -ties
  1. any hystricomorph rodent of the genus Dasyprocta, of Central and South America and the Caribbean: family Dasyproctidae. Agoutis are agile and long-legged, with hooflike claws, and are valued for their meat

  2. a pattern of fur in certain rodents, characterized by irregular stripes

Origin of agouti

1
C18: via French and Spanish from Guarani

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012